Electric automatic overflow-alarm.



No. 730,181. PATENTED JUNE 2, 1903:

R. J. WALKER.

ELECTRIC AUTOMATIC OVERFLOW ALARM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

Patented June 2, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT J. WALKER, OF HOLLAND, MICHIGAN;

ELECTRIC AUTOMATIC OVERFLOW-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 730,181, dated June 2,1903. Application filedllllay 21,1902. Serial No. 108,435. (No model!)Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricAutomatic Overflow-Alarms; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableIO others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for automaticallythrowing into action an alarm device adapted to be placed :5 upon a tankor similar receptacle to give warning to. the attendant should the wateror other liquid within the tank reach a dangerous or high level, or, ifdesired, the same device may be set so as to be thrown into action whenthe liquid reaches both a high and low level within the tank orreceptacle.

My said invention is particularly applicable in sugar-houses where anumber of liquidcontaining tanks are being filled simultaneously andonly one attendant may be employed to supervise a number of such tanks.To facilitate such work is the object of my present invention, and inaccomplishing such an object I employ a portable case containingmechanism for automatically closing an electric circuit the moment theliquid within the tank upon which the device may be located either risesor falls beyond the desired limits, said mechanism being preferablyconnected with a bell or other suitable alarm device located at adistant or central point convenient to the attendant having charge ofthe tanks. If desired, a plurality of these alarm devices may bedistributed among the tanks 0 and the bell or other indicator brought toa central point where the abnormal condition existing within the tankconnected to its respective signal device may be readily detected.

In order that my said invention may be 5 more fully understood,reference will be had to the accompanying drawings,wherein I have shownthe same as embodied in one form.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete device.Fig. 2 is a dia- 5o grammatic View of the device, showing the electricalcircuits. Fig. 3 is a detail view enlarged, showing the disk carryingthe float in side elevation. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the same, andFig. 5 is a view illustrating my invention as embodied in aslightly-differout form.

Referring to the parts by characters, 1 represents the portable caseinclosin g the operative parts of the device, having a depending tube 2carried upon the bottom thereof. This inclosing case 1 is preferablyprovided with a hinged door 3, providing access to the various parts ofthe device contained therein. Within this tube 2 is suspended the ball4, preferably a hollow metallic ball. Connected to this ball 4 is a rodor wire 5, the screw 6 securing said rod at one end to said float 4and'the screw or pin 7securing its upper end to the rotatable disk 8,mounted upon the pivot-screw 10, secured in the back of the inclosingcase 1. A spacing-sleeve 11 and a washer 12 may be provided upon saidscrew 10, upon each side of the disk 8, to prevent lateral motion. Aturnbuckle 13, internally screw threaded and screwed upon theoppositely-disposed screw threads 14 15 upon the ends of the rod 5, ispreferably provided for adjusting the length of said rod, andconsequently the height of the ball-float 4 within the tube or guide 2.This disk 8 is provided with a segmental recess in its periphery,preferably near the top thereof, a central depression 17, forming theshoulders 16 16, being provided in'the center of said recess. 18 is alatch pivoted at the point 19 adjacent the segmental recess upon thedisk 8, said latch being so shaped that when thrown over into theposition shown in Fig. 3 its end will rest in said recess. This latch 18is provided with a cut-away portion 20, approximately intermediate itslength, through which is adapted to drop the narrowed end 21 of thelever 22 after riding up over the point of said latch to bridge thedepression 17. This lever 22 is preferably pivoted at the point 23 uponthe rear of the casing 1 and is provided approximately intermediate itslength with an aperture 24, in which rests the wire 25.

26 is a support of any desired insulating material secured by the screws27 to the back of the inclosing casing 1. Upon the side of this support26 are located the electrical contact-pieces 28 29, said pieces beingsecured in place by means of the screws 30 31, respectively. To thescrew 30 is connected the wire 00, leading from one pole of the batteryX, the wire .2, leading from the other pole of the said battery, beingconnected in circuit with the bell 32, the wire 3 leading from said bellto the screw 31 upon the contact 29.

Secured upon the support 26 is a guideframe having its ends 34 35upturned and perforated. Through these perforations is adapted to passthe sliding rod 36, having its upper end connected to the wire or rod25, depending freni the lever 22.

Secured beneath the screw 30 upon the contact-piece 23 is a coiledspring 37, having its end connected to or resting upon the pin 38,passing through said rod 36, the tendency of said spring 37 being tonormally tend to draw said rod 36 and wit-h it rod 25 and lever 22downward. Beneath this guide-frame is a binding-post 39, screwed orotherwise secured in the support 26. This binding-post 39 iselectrically connected to the contact 29 through the conductor 40 andcarries at its upper end the transversely-disposed screw41. This screw41 is directly in alinement with the wire 36 and may, if desired, becapped with a platinum point to reduce fusing to a minimum.

X represents a battery or other suitable source of current-supply. Toone pole of the battery X is led the wire 3 connected to one of thebinding-posts of the bell 32, and to the other pole of the battery isconnected the conducting-wire 09, connected to the screw 30. To thescrew 31 is connected the wire .2, connected to the other binding-postof the bell 32.

In Fig. 5 is shown a simpler form of my said invention, the lever 46,corresponding to the lever 22 in Fig. 2, being provided, near the centerthereof, with a laterally-projecting pin 47, which rests in its normalposition on the lip or shoulder lli'of the recess in the rotatable disk8, to which the float 4 is connected through the screw 7.

Upon the outer end of the lever 46 is provided a platinum contact-point48, adapted to close an electrical circuit through the contact-point 49upon the screw 50, carried by the binding-post 51. To the binding-post51 is connected the wire 2 and to the bindingpost 52, upon which ispivoted the lever 46, is connected the wire at, the wire 5 beingconnected directly between the battery and bell.

Upon the top of the casing 1 is preferably provided a carrying-handle42. Upon the side of said case is provided a pair of bindingposts 44 45,to which are connected the leading-out wires i and z from thecircuit-closing mechanism within the case.

A flexible conducting-cord 53, inclosing both of the wires connectingsaid bindingposts and the binding-posts upon the bell, is preferablyprovided, a hook 43 being utilized to support said conducting-wire. Thisconducting-cord may be of any length that may be required, dependingupon the distance said case is to be removed from said bell 32.

The ordinary form of dry cells may be em ployed to supply the electricalcurrent, and these batteries are preferably carried within the case 1.

The operation of the device is as follows: The bell or other form ofalarm device 32 is screwed upon the wall or any other suitable support,and the case 1 containing the float and circuit-closing mechanism isplaced upon the top of atank being filled with liquid. The dependingtube 2 upon said case will extend down into the liquid in said tank. Thenormal support for the pin 21 is the recessed lip or shoulder 16 of thedisk 8. Therefore until the liquid reaches a height suflicient to floatthe ball 4 the electrical circuit will be broken; but when said floatreaches the height s ufficient to have rotated the disk 8 into theposition shown in Fig. 3 the point 21, carried by the lever 22, willrest in the depression 17 of the recessed disk. In the device shown inFig. 2 the lever 22 will at such a time have been lowered to such anextent that the sliding rod 36 will rest its lower end upon the screw41. This will cause a current to traverse the wire 50 from the batterythrough parts 30 28 37 41 4O 29 31, wire .2 to the bell 32, returning tothe battery through the wire y. This will cause the bell 32 to ring,giving an audible signal to the attendant, who may cut off the supply tothe tank in ample time to avoid an overflow. In Fig. 2 the float hasreached its highest point after having sounded an alarm, and the pin 21rests on the lip or shoulder 16 ot the recessed disk. When the level ofthe liquid in the tank recedes, the point 21 upon the lever 22 will rideupon the latch 13, preventing the lever 22 from throwing the alarm againinto action. If desired, however, the latch 18 may be thrown back,allowing the point 21 upon the lever 22 to again rest in the depression17, giving a low-liquid-level alarm. In Fig. 5 when the point 47 uponthe lever 46 rests in the depression 17 upon the disk 8 the electricalcircuit will be closed through the wire 00, leading from the batterythrough parts 52 46 48 49 5O 51, traversing wire .2' to the bell orother alarm device 32, returning to the battery through wire ,2, as inFig. 2.

In order to adjust the time during which the alarm will be sounded, ascrew adjustment 41 is provided, said screw being screwed up to increasethe duration of the signal and unscrewed to shorten the time, the screw50 in Fig. 5 serving this same purpose.

Through the turnbuckle 13 the device may be set so as to close thecircuit at different liquid-levels.

The portable and compact nature of the device enables the same to bereadily transferred from one tank to another, ailowing one alarm deviceto be used for a number of tanks.

WVhile I have shown my invention as embodied in the forms herein shown,it will of course be understood that I do not limit myself to suchforms, as many changes and IIO means carried by said disk for closing anelectric circuit during its rotary motion, and a signal device connectedin circuit with said circuit-closing mechanism.

2. In an automatic tank-alarm, the combination with an inclosing case, adepending tube extending downwardly from the bottom thereof, of a floatadapted to rise and fall in said tube, a rotatable disk mounted in saidcase, means connecting said float and disk, means carried by said diskfor closing an electric circuit during its rotation caused by the risingand falling of the float, and a signal device connected in circuit withsaid circuit-closing mechanism.

3. In an automatic tank-alarm, the combination with a portable case, adepending tube carried thereby, and a float located within said tube, ofa recessed disk connected to-said float, a lever having an arm adaptedto rest in said recess, and circuit-closing means connected to saidlever adapted to be thrown into action with the rise or fall of saidfloat, and an alarm in circuit with said float.

4:. In an automatic tank-alarm, the combination with a float, a recesseddisk, adjustable means connecting said float and disk, and a lever,having a point bearing in said recess, of a movable point carried bysaid lever, a stationary-contact and an electric circuit including asignal device connected to said movable and stationary contacts.

5. In an automatic tank-alarm, the combination with a float, a recesseddisk, adj ustable means connecting said float and disk, and a leverhaving a point bearing in said recess, of a movable point carried bysaid lever, an adjustable stationary contact and an electric circuitincluding a signal device connected to said movable and stationarycontacts.

6. In an automatic tank-alarm, the combination of a float, a rotatabledisk, means connecting said float and disk, a lever having one endbearing upon said disk, an electrical circuit, a stationary contact, amovable contact carried by said lever, and means carried by said diskfor causing said lever to close said circuit through said contacts.

7. In an automatic tank-alarm, the combination of a float, a rotatabledisk, means connecting said float and disk, a lever having one endbearing upon said disk, an electrical circuit, a stationary contact, amovable contact carried by said lever, means carried by said disk forcausing said lever to close said circuit through said contacts when saidfloat rises to a predetermined height, and means for preventing theclosing of said circuit during the falling of said float.

8. In an automatic tank-alarm, the combination of a float, a rotatabledisk, means connecting said float and disk, a lever having one endbearing upon said disk, an electrical circuit, a stationary contact, amovable, contact carried by said lever, means carried by said disk forcausing said lever to close said circuit through said contacts when saidfloat rises to a predetermined height and a pivoted latch carried bysaid disk for preventing the closing of said circuit during the fallingof said float.

9. In an automatic tank-alarm, the combition with a float, a recesseddisk, means connecting said float and disk, a pivoted latch adapted tobridge said recess, a pivoted lever carrying upon one end a pointadapted to rest in said recess, an electrical circuit, a stationary andmovable contact in said electrical circuit, said movable contact beingadapted to close the circuit when the pin upon said lever rests in thelowest portion of the recess in said disk.

10. In an automatic tank-alarm, the combination with a float, arotatable disk provided witha recess in itsperiphery,ad j ustable meansconnecting said float and disk, a recessed latch adapted to be thrownover said recess, a pivoted lever, carrying a pin resting in saidrecess, a movable contact connected to said lever, an adjustablestationary contact in alinement therewith, an electrical circuit adaptedto be closed through said contacts, and an alarm device also included insaid circuit.

In testimony whereof I afflx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT J. WALKER.

Witnesses:

FRANK SANKEY, ISAAC MARSILJE.

